FRED F. LAYO, 78, of Tampa died Sunday at University Community Hospital. A native of Lilly, Pa., he moved to this area in 1987 from Niagara Falls, N.Y. He taught social studies for 31 years, was assistant varsity coach and junior varsity coach for 10 years and athletic manager for 20 years, all at Trott Vocational High School in Niagara Falls. He was an Army veteran of World War II. He is survived by his wife, Rose Mary; a daughter, Janice A. Bartlett of Tampa; two brothers, Edward and Henry, both of Portage, Pa.; and three sisters, Stella Grecek of Portage, Marie Dispennett of Franklin, Ky., and Louise Malopy of Chicago. Memorial Park Funeral Home, St. Petersburg.
(From November 1996)
CLYDE "BILLIE" LEAVELL, 84, of Temple Terrace died Sunday at St. Joseph's Hospital. A native of Bonifay, she was a longtime resident of the area. She was the office manager for Gulf Life Insurance Co. and a member of Temple Terrace First Baptist Church. She is survived by a son, Gregory L. of Lutz; two brothers, Wilburn and Alvin Rushing, both of Seminole; a sister, Clara Dayton of St. Petersburg; and three grandchildren. Duval Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
VONDELL MARSH, 59, of Plant City died Sunday at National Health Care. A native of Adel, Ga., she was a longtime resident of the area. She was a homemaker. She is survived by her husband, Robert; her parents, Russell and Pauline Joyce of Plant City; three brothers, Randy, Charles and Jeff Joyce, all of Plant City; and a sister, Annette McKinney of Plant City. Hopewell Funeral Home, Plant City.
(From November 1996)
JANICE MARIE McGARRAH, 47, of Lutz died Saturday in Tampa. A native of Joliet, Ill., she moved to the area 14 years ago from Washington , D.C. She was employed at Barnett Bank and Protestant. She is survived by her husband, R.L.; a son, Brent A. of Lutz; a daughter, Christal L. Hammond of Tampa; three sisters, Janet L. Odle of Panama City, and Linda J. Westmoreland and Carol A. Provins, both of Lawton, Okla.; and four grandchildren. F.T. Blount Funeral Home, Lutz-Land O' Lakes Chapel.
(From November 1996)
PASQUALINA ROTELLA, 88, of Enfield, Conn. died Friday at Parkway Pavilion in Enfield. A native of New York City, she was a former resident of Temple Terrace. She was an employee for Leggett/Rexall and a member of Telephone Pioneers of America. She is survived by a stepson, Ronald of Tampa. Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels.
(From November 1996)
M.E. "RUDY" RUDOLPH, 75, of Tampa died Sunday. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, he moved to Tampa in 1969 from Madison, Wis. He was a sales manager for an animal feed business, Presbyterian, an Army veteran of World War II and member of Bachelors and Belles. He is survived by a son, Richard Keith of Cottage Grove, Wis.; three daughters, Katherine V. of Basil, Switzerland, Joan C. Young of Auburndale and Connie A. Pascual of Tampa; a sister, Gladys M. Couts of Guttenburg, Iowa; and six grandchildren. Curry & Son Funeral Home, MacDill Avenue Chapel, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
ROSE TAORMINA, 81, of Tampa died Saturday. A lifelong resident of Tampa, she was a homemaker and Catholic. She is survived by a son, Joseph J. Cacciatore of Tampa; a daughter, Rachel Cacciatore Martinez of Riverview; a brother, John Muley of Tampa; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A.P. Boza Funeral Home, Riverside Chapel, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
PATRICIA ANN VanHOOK, 52, of Plant City died Friday at home. A native of Lakeland, she was a longtime resident of the area. She was an apartment manager and Baptist. She is survived by her husband, Heral D.; two daughters, Rae Manchester of Naples and Penny Wittsaman of Bonita Springs; a stepson, Heral D. III of Lowell, Ind.; a stepdaughter, Lynn Enyart of Lagrange, Ind.; her mother, Aubrey Stenson of Dover; a brother, Jack Tew of Lakeland; four sisters, Phyllis Moran and Margie Lawson, both of Plant City, Deborah Harvey of Lithia and Theresa Thomas of High Springs; and six grandchildren. Haynes Funeral Home, Plant City.
(From November 1996)
WILLIAM "W.G." WRIGHT, 79, of Tampa died Wednesday at South Florida Baptist Hospital. A lifelong resident of Tampa, he was a delivery man for Graham Jones, an Army veteran and member of Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is survived by four sons, William, Robert, Larry and Charles; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Harmon Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
CHARLES X. BASS JR., 56, of Lakeland died Sunday at home. A Tallahassee native, he moved to Lakeland from Leon County in 1961 and worked in retail sales. He was Baptist and a U.S. Navy veteran. He is survived by his wife, Norma J.; three sons, Charles III of Auburndale, and Allen and Brian W., both of Lakeland; a daughter, Kimberly Ann Prince of Lakeland; and six grandchildren. Lanier Funeral Home, Lakeland.
(From November 1996)
CHARLES N. BRISTOL, 69, of Winter Haven died Saturday at Bartow Convalescent Center. A native of Georgetown, Tenn., he came to this area from Nashville, Ga., in 1955. He was Protestant. He is survived by two brothers, J.W. of Lakeland and Dean of Atlanta; and three sisters, Annie M. Edwards of Winter Haven, Josephine Ferguson of Wahneta and Martha Nell Troupe of Gulfport, Miss. Crisp-Coon Funeral Homes Inc., Winter Haven.
(From November 1996)
MATILDA PAULINE CHRISTOPHERSON, 98, of Lakeland died Monday at Trinity Health & Rehabilitation Center. A native of Wadena, Minn., she moved to this area in 1968 from Guthrie, Minn. She was a homemaker and member of Guthrie Methodist Church. She is survived by a daughter, Lois L. Cameron of Lakeland; a son, Marshall of Olympia, Wash.; a sister, Ruth Steinbrenner, and two brothers, John and Frank Steinbrenner, all of Mesa, Ariz.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Lakeland Funeral Home.
(From November 1996)
ALLAN C. DEGROOT, 79, of Mulberry died Monday at Lakeland Healthcare Center. A native of Garden City, S.D., he came to Polk County from Tarpon Springs more than 40 years ago. He was a retired sales representative for McGinnis Lumber Co., a fisherman, member of Moose Lodge 945 and attended Christ the King Episcopal Church, all in Lakeland. He is survived by his wife, E. Joan; a son, Dennis of Tarpon Springs; seven stepchildren, Kerry Clarke, K.C. Clarke, Kathy Johnston and Jodi Scroger, all of Lakeland, Robert Clarke of Winter Haven, Richard Clarke of Virginia and Ronald Clarke of California; a sister, Addie Burman of Kenosha, Wis.; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several step- grandchildren. Lakeland Funeral Home.
(From November 1996)
RUBY AUTREY FAIN, 84, of Lakeland died Friday. A native of Madison County, N.C., she moved to Lakeland in 1992 from Tampa. She was a member of Trinity Baptist Church of Lakeland and former member of First Baptist Church of Tampa. She is survived by her husband, Joseph R.; a son, Ronald L. Autrey of Winter Springs; three daughters, Joan Jordan of Chuluota, Geraldine Stone of Brandon and Lynn Bingle of Lakeland; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Curry & Son Funeral Home, MacDill Avenue Chapel, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
RACHEL AUSTIN GILL, 75, of New Rochelle, N.Y., died Friday at Sound Shore Medical Center in New York. She was a native of Jasper, Texas , and worked as a cook. She is survived by her husband, Richard; a sister, Lula Jones of Lake Wales; and five brothers, James and Allen Austin, both of Lake Wales, Robert Austin of Bartow, Ernest Austin of Dale City, Va., and Lawrence Austin of Baltimore. Epps Mortuary, Lake Wales.
(From November 1996)
JAMES E. HARLAN, 86, of Winter Haven died Sunday at Mariner Healthcare Center. A native of Otsego, Mich., he came to this area in 1985 from Hickory Corners, Mich. He was retired from machine tool sales, an amateur radio operator and member of Gull Lake Bible Church in Hickory Corners and Kalamazoo (Mich.) Traffic Club. He is survived by his wife, Wava; a daughter, Jeanne Crabb of Albuquerque, N.M.; four grandchildren; and seven great- grandchildren. Crisp-Coon Funeral Homes Inc., Winter Haven.
(From November 1996)
CECIL KELLEY, 80, of Bartow died Sunday at Arbors at Lakeland Subacute & Rehabilitation Center. A native of Miller County, Ga., he moved to Bartow in 1955 from Georgia. He retired after 27 years with the Bartow city electrical department, worked as a school crossing guard and was a member of First Baptist Church of Bartow and Bartow/Mulberry Golden Age Club. He is survived by his wife, Margie E.; three daughters, Dorothy K. McCroan of Bartow, Linda L. LeRoy of Plant City and Sylvia K. Hamlett of Pulaski, Tenn.; two brothers, Arthur and Carlton, both of Colquitt, Ga.; two sisters, Jeanette Lane of Iron City, Ga., and Christine Smith of Ahoskie, N.C.; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Whidden- McLean Funeral Home, Bartow.
(From November 1996)
CHARLIE MARKLE JR., 73, of Lakeland died Saturday at home. A native of Everett, Pa., he moved to this area from New Castle, Pa., 25 years ago and worked as an automotive mechanic for Montgomery Ward. He was Methodist. He is survived by a son, Paul Davis of Lakeland; three brothers, John, Roger and Lloyd, and three sisters, Evelyn Bussard, Delores Foor and Barbara Deeter, all of Pennsylvania ; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland.
(From November 1996)
ERNA MONTWID-GRUBER, 81, of Lakeland died Saturday at Trinity Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. A native of Riga, Latvia, she moved to Polk County six years ago from DeLand. She was a homemaker and member of St. Paul Lutheran Church. She is survived by a daughter, Jutta Montwid, and son, Ron Montwid, both of Lakeland; a stepdaughter, Renate Mereden of Atherton, Calif.; and three grandchildren. Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland.
(From November 1996)
JOEL DAVID PURDY, 39, of Lakeland died Sunday at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. A native of Ipswich, Mass., he moved to Lakeland from Jasper four years ago. He was an electrical line worker and attended Carpenter's Home Church. He is survived by his wife, Janet; two daughters, Leanne and Roxanne; a stepson, Dustin Tolmei; his mother, Lorraine E. Casey of Haverhill, Mass.; his father, Raymond S., and brother, Stephen D., both of Carson City, Nev.; and a sister, Marcia A. Baker of Strong, Maine. Lanier Funeral Home, Lakeland.
(From November 1996)
M.E. "RUDY" RUDOLPH, 75, of Tampa died Sunday. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, he moved to Tampa in 1969 from Madison, Wis. He was a sales manager for an animal feed business, Presbyterian, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and member of Bachelors and Belles. He is survived by a son, Richard Keith of Cottage Grove, Wis.; three daughters, Katherine V. of Basil, Switzerland, Joan C. Young of Auburndale and Connie A. Pascual of Tampa; a sister, Gladys M. Couts of Guttenburg, Iowa; and six grandchildren. Curry & Son Funeral Home, MacDill Avenue Chapel, Tampa.
(From November 1996)
ANNIE RENE ROBERTS, 81, of Davenport, died Thursday at her home. residence. A native of Cheraw, S.C., she moved to the area 37 years ago. She was a homemaker and a Baptist. She is survived by five sons, John of Mulvane, Kan., Cecil of Davenport, Donald of Lake Hamilton, Earnest of Haines City and Roland of Zolfo Springs; a daughter, Pauline Dudney of Davenport; six brothers, Donnie DeBerry, Henry DeBerry, Murray DeBerry and Herman DeBerry, all of Rockingham, N.C., and Paula DeBerry and Ernest of Camden, N.C.; two sisters, Bessie Lee Humphrey of Raleigh, N.C., and Edna Benoist of Rockingham, N.C.; 18 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. Lane-Holt Funeral Home, Haines City.
(From November 1996)
